3 minute read

Luck finally went Louder’s way at Kembla Grange yesterday – and no one was more relieved than her trainer Brad Widdup.

The All Too Hard mare notched the second win of her career when she beat her own sex in the Class 1 Handicap (1400m).

Rider Brodie Loy stayed near the inside on straightening when a clear run presented itself, and Louder  ($6.50) burst through, then fought on gamely to hold out Divine Breath ($9) and $1.70 favorite Faraway Jewel.

"She has been an unlucky mare, and it was good to see her get back into the winning list yesterday," Widdup said today.

"Louder has to be held up for as long as possible, and in the circumstances she did a terrific job as she got to the front a bit too early.

"It's never easy on heavy tracks at Kembla when you're on the inside and horses are coming at you wider out."

Widdup also was pleased to win another race for Louder's owners. A $30,000 yearling purchase, she is raced by Luskintyre-based Davali Thoroughbreds with family and friends.

"They're good people who enjoy their racing, and it was nice to get another with the mare for them."

In spite of Louder's victory, Widdup isn't keen at this stage to push her further in distance.

"We'll concentrate on trying to get another provincial win with her, but she hasn't got the strength yet to get to 1600m," he said.

Louder's success – her first was also against her own sex over 1200m at Goulburn last April – gave Widdup his 11th winner of the season.

But his hopes of clinching both a weekend double along with his 150th career victory at Nowra today were dashed when $2.60 favorite Lexi's Choice just failed to overhaul $15 chance Ilvermorny in the Class 2 Handicap (1400m).

. The Nowra meeting though provided husband and wife training partnership Philippe and Tara Vigouroux with their fourth winner of the season.

Black Star Bowie ($6.50), resuming from a spell and positively ridden by Chad Lever, stuck his head out on the line to edge out another $6.50 chance Direct Default in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m).

As with Louder, it was the gelding's second win, but his record would be so much better if some of his 12 placings had turned into victories.

Named after the late English music icon David Bowie – Blackstar was his final album – Black Star Bowie seems to like winning at the start of the year.

His only previous success was at Muswellbrook on January 3 last year in a 1500m Maiden Plate, and a further seven placings were interspersed between that win and today's outcome.